Cats (musical)
| setting = | productions = Multiple productions worldwide | premiere_date = | premiere_location = New London Theatre, London, England, U.K. | awards = }} 'Cats' is a sung-through musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on ''Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot. The musical tells the story of a tribe of cats called the Jellicles and the night they make the "Jellicle choice", deciding which cat will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new life. Directed by Trevor Nunn and choreographed by Gillian Lynne, Cats first opened to favourable reviews in the West End in 1981, and then to mixed reviews on Broadway in 1982. It won numerous awards, including Best Musical at both the Laurence Olivier Awards and the Tony Awards. An unprecedented commercial hit, the musical had grossed over $2 billion worldwide by 1994 and started the megamusical phenomenon that has dominated the industry ever since. The London production ran for 21 years (1981–2002; 8,949 performances) and the Broadway production ran for 18 years (1982–2000; 7,485 performances), both setting new records. Actresses Elaine Paige and Betty Buckley became particularly associated with the musical, and its most well-known song "Memory" has been recorded hundreds of times. Cats has since been revived in the West End twice and on Broadway once. Cats previously held the records for the longest-running musical in both Broadway and West End histories. As of 2018, it remains the fourth-longest-running Broadway show and the sixth-longest-running West End show. Cats has been translated into 15 languages and has been performed around the world many times. The Hamburg production ran for 15 years (1986–2001; >6,100 performances), while the Japanese semi-touring production by the Shiki Theatre Company celebrated its 35th anniversary in 2018 (1983–present; >10,000 performances). The musical was adapted into a direct-to-video film in 1998, with a feature film adaptation by Tom Hooper set to follow in 2019. Background Cats is based on T. S. Eliot's 1939 poetry book Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, with the songs in the musical comprising Eliot's verse set to music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The musical is unusual in terms of its construction; along with Eliot's poems, music and dance are the main focus of the show at the expense of a traditional narrative structure. Musicologists William Everett and Paul Laird described Cats as "combining elements of the revue and concept musical". The plot centres on a tribe of cats called the Jellicles, as they come together at the annual Jellicle Ball to decide which one of them will ascend to the Heaviside Layer (their version of heaven) and be reborn into a new life. The bulk of the musical comprises the different contenders being introduced, either by themselves or by other cats. Poems Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats is a collection of light poetry about cats that Eliot had originally written for his godchildren in the 1930s. Due to the inherent rhythmic nature of Eliot's work, there had been previous attempts before Cats at setting his poems to music though none of these attempts had been met with much critical or commercial success. Musicologist John Snelson wrote of the poems: }} Most of the song lyrics in Cats were taken from Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats with very minor alterations. Supplementary verses from unpublished poems by Eliot were adapted for "Grizabella: The Glamour Cat" and "Journey to the Heaviside Layer", while the song "The Moments of Happiness" was taken from a passage in Eliot's The Dry Salvages. Cats director Trevor Nunn and lyricist Richard Stilgoe provided the remaining lyrics, namely for the opening number "Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats" and the most famous song from the musical "Memory". The former was written by Nunn and Stilgoe and was modelled after an unpublished poem by Eliot titled "Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats", while the latter was written by Nunn based on another Eliot poem titled "Rhapsody on a Windy Night". Creation Inception Lloyd Webber began composing the songs in late 1977 as a songwriting exercise, partly because Eliot's book had been a childhood favourite and partly to see if he could write music to predetermined lyrics. The compositions were performed privately for friends but Lloyd Webber had no further intentions for them at the time. After his song cycle Tell Me on a Sunday was televised on the BBC in early 1980, Lloyd Webber began to consider using his musicalizations of Eliot's poems in the same vein for a televised concert anthology. At the same time, Lloyd Webber had parted ways with impresario Robert Stigwood and was looking to collaborate with another producer, namely Cameron Mackintosh. He approached Mackintosh to discuss possible avenues for the songs. Practical Cats, as the show was then called, was first presented as a song cycle at the 1980 summer Sydmonton Festival. The concert was performed by Gemma Craven, Gary Bond and Paul Nicholas; while Craven's "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer" was released in the 2001 compilation album Andrew Lloyd Webber: Now & Forever. |group= n}} Eliot's widow and literary executor, Valerie, was in attendance and had brought along various unpublished cat-themed poems by Eliot. One of these was "Grizabella the Glamour Cat" which, although rejected from Eliot's book for being "too sad for children", gave Lloyd Webber the idea for a full-blown musical. He explained: It was thus decided that Practical Cats would be a musical, co-produced by Mackintosh and the Really Useful Group's Brian Brolly. Development Shortly after the Sydmonton Festival, Lloyd Webber began setting the unpublished poems he had been given to music, a few of which were later added into the show. He also composed the overture and "The Jellicle Ball", incorporating analog synthesizers into these orchestrations to try to create a unique electronic soundscape. Meanwhile, Mackintosh recruited Nunn, the then artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), to direct Practical Cats. Nunn was an unusual choice as he was considered "too high-brow" for musical theatre, but it was felt that a "pedigree" director was needed to ensure Valerie Eliot's approval of the project. After much persuasion, Nunn came on board and was joined by his fellow RSC colleagues, choreographer Gillian Lynne and set and costume designer John Napier. Nunn initially envisioned Practical Cats as a chamber piece for five actors and two pianos, which he felt would reflect "Eliot's charming, slightly offbeat, mildly satiric view of late-1930's London". However, he relented to Lloyd Webber's more ambitious vision for the musical. Nunn was also convinced that for the musical to have the wide commercial appeal that the producers desired, it could not remain as a series of isolated numbers but instead had to have a narrative through line. He was therefore tasked with piecing the self-contained poems together into a story. Nunn wrote about the significance "Grizabella the Glamour Cat" had on the construction of the narrative: An event called the Jellicle Ball was referenced by Eliot in the poem "The Song of the Jellicles", while a cat version of heaven known as the Heaviside Layer was mentioned in one of his unpublished poems. Nunn expanded on these concepts by conceiving the Jellicle Ball as an annual ritual in which the cats vie to be chosen to ascend to the Heaviside Layer, thus giving the characters a reason to gather and sing about themselves in the musical. He also added the element of rebirth as a play on the idea that cats have nine lives. One of Nunn's stipulations for agreeing to direct Practical Cats was that actress Judi Dench would be cast in the musical. Lloyd Webber was happy to oblige given her credentials and so Dench joined the company in the dual roles of Grizabella and Jennyanydots. Former Royal Ballet principal dancer Wayne Sleep was offered the part of Mr. Mistoffelees after Lloyd Webber and Mackintosh attended a performance by his dance troupe, one of the many dance showcases they saw in preparation for the musical. Casting for the other roles began in November 1980, with auditions held across the UK for dancers who could also sing and act. There was an initial disagreement over the casting of Nicholas as Rum Tum Tugger; Nunn had misgivings about the actor's laid-back attitude but eventually yielded to Lloyd Webber, Mackintosh and Lynne, all of whom were keen on Nicholas for the role. Sarah Brightman, who had already made a name for herself with the chart hit "I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper", arranged a private audition and was cast in an as-then undecided role. By December, the full cast had been assembled. Meanwhile, Mackintosh engaged the advertising agency Dewynters to design a poster for the musical. After much back-and-forth, the agency presented a minimalist poster consisting of a pair of yellow feline eyes (with dancing silhouettes for the pupils) set against a black backdrop. The producers and the creative team loved the design but felt that the title — Practical Cats — looked out of place when paired with the image of the cat's eyes. The musical's title was thus shortened to just Cats. The musical was scheduled to open on 30 April 1981, with previews starting on 22 April. Shortly before tickets went on sale in mid-February, Nunn revealed to the alarmed producers that he was struggling to write the script for the musical. Despite still having no established book or score, rehearsals began on 9 March 1981 in a church hall in Chiswick, London. The original musical director, Chris Walker, became so frustrated with the unfinished score that he quit by lunchtime and was replaced by the film conductor Harry Rabinowitz. The situation improved later that day when Lloyd Webber, Mackintosh and Nunn met with Stilgoe, a musician known for his ability to improvise lyrics on the spot, in hopes that Stilgoe could write an opening song for the musical. By the next evening, Stilgoe had produced a draft for "Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats". However, "Memory", an 11 o'clock number for Grizabella that Nunn insisted the show needed as its "emotional centre", still had no lyrics at this point. Lloyd Webber's former writing partner Tim Rice was brought in to write a lyric for the song, but his version was rejected by Nunn for being too depressing. The lyrics for "Memory" were not completed by Nunn until well into the previews. Many of the ensemble characters were created by the original cast through extensive improvisation sessions held during the rehearsal process. Said Nunn: "On day one of rehearsals what we had was 15 poems set to music and five weeks later we had a show with characters, relationships and stories running from beginning to end." The production faced a last minute mishap when Dench snapped her Achilles tendon during rehearsals for "The Old Gumbie Cat" and had to pull out one week before the first preview. Her understudy Myra Sands replaced her as Jennyanydots, while Elaine Paige agreed to take over the role of Grizabella. Opening night was pushed back to 11 May, but Mackintosh refused to postpone the previews as he wanted to dispel the industry rumours that the production was an impending debacle. The development of Cats was also plagued by financial troubles. Mackintosh struggled to raise the £450,000 ($1.16 million) needed to stage the musical in the West End as major investors were sceptical of the show's premise and refused to back it. Lloyd Webber personally underwrote the musical and took out a second mortgage on his house for the down payment of the theatre. He later recalled that if Cats had been a commercial failure, it would have left him in financial ruin. The remaining capital was eventually financed by small investments procured from 220 individuals through newspaper advertisements. After the musical became a massive hit, the rate of return for these original investors was estimated to have exceeded 3,500%. Synopsis Act I — When Cats Are Maddened by the Midnight Dance gather every year to make the "Jellicle Choice", and decide which cat will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new life.]] After the overture, the cats gather on stage and explain the Jellicle tribe and its purpose ("Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats"). The cats (who break the fourth wall throughout the show) then notice that they are being watched by a human audience, and proceed to explain how the different cats of the tribe are named ("The Naming of Cats"). This is followed by a ballet dance performed by Victoria the White Cat to signal the beginning of the Jellicle Ball ("The Invitation to the Jellicle Ball"). At this moment, Munkustrap, the show's main narrator, explains that tonight the Jellicle patriarch Old Deuteronomy will make an appearance and choose one of the cats to be reborn into a new life on the Heaviside Layer. The first contender Munkustrap introduces is Jennyanydots ("The Old Gumbie Cat"), a large tabby cat who lazes around all day, but come nighttime, she becomes active, teaching mice and cockroaches various activities to curb their naturally destructive habits. Just as Jennyanydots finishes her song, the music changes suddenly and Rum Tum Tugger makes his extravagant entrance in front of the tribe ("The Rum Tum Tugger"). He is very fickle and unappeasable, "for he will do as he do do, and there's no doing anything about it". Then, as Rum Tum Tugger's song fades, a shabby old grey cat stumbles out wanting to be reconciled; it is Grizabella. All the cats back away from her in fear and disgust and explain her unfortunate state ("Grizabella: The Glamour Cat"). Grizabella leaves and the music changes to a cheerful upbeat number as Bustopher Jones, a fat cat in "a coat of fastidious black", is brought to the stage ("Bustopher Jones: The Cat About Town"). Bustopher Jones is among the elite of the cats, and visits prestigious gentlemen's clubs. Suddenly, a loud crash startles the tribe and the cats run offstage in fright. Hushed giggling sounds signal the entrance of Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, a pair of near-identical cats. They are mischievous petty burglars who enjoy causing trouble around their human neighbourhood ("Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer"). After they finish, they are caught off-guard and confronted by the rest of the cats. Finally, the Jellicle patriarch, Old Deuteronomy, arrives before the tribe ("Old Deuteronomy"). He is a wise old cat who "has lived many lives" and is tasked with choosing which Jellicle will go to the Heaviside Layer every year. The cats put on a play for Old Deuteronomy ("The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles"), telling a story about two dog tribes clashing in the street and subsequently being scared away by the Great Rumpus Cat. A sombre moral from Old Deuteronomy is interrupted by a second loud crash, presumably from Macavity, which sends the alarmed cats scurrying. After a quick patrol for Macavity, Old Deuteronomy deems it a false alarm and summons the cats back as the main celebration begins ("The Jellicle Ball"), in which the cats sing and display their "Terpsichorean powers". During the Ball, Grizabella reappears and is once again shunned by the other cats ("Grizabella: The Glamour Cat (Reprise)") while Old Deuteronomy looks on sadly. She tries to dance along, but her age and decrepit condition prevent her from doing so ("Memory (Prelude)"). Act II — Why Will the Summer Day Delay — When Will Time Flow Away? After the Jellicle Ball, Old Deuteronomy contemplates "what happiness is", referring to Grizabella. However, the cats do not understand him, so he has Jemima (or Sillabub, depending on the production), the youngest of all Jellicles, sing it in simpler terms ("The Moments of Happiness"). Gus — short for Asparagus — shuffles forward as the next cat to be introduced ("Gus: The Theatre Cat"). He was once a famous actor but is now old and "suffers from palsy which makes his paws shake". He is accompanied by Jellylorum, his caretaker, who tells of his exploits. Gus then remembers how he once played the infamous pirate captain, Growltiger a.k.a. the Terror of the Thames ("Growltiger's Last Stand"). Gus tells the story about the pirate captain's romance with Lady Griddlebone, and how Growltiger was overtaken by the Siamese and forced to walk the plank to his death. Back in the present, after Gus exits, Skimbleshanks is seen sleeping in the corner ("Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat"). He is the cat who is unofficially in charge of the night train to Glasgow. Skimbleshanks is considered vital to the rail operations, as without him "the train can't start". Within his song, a whole steam train engine is assembled out of objects in the junkyard. With a third crash and an evil laugh, the "most wanted" cat Macavity appears. He is the so-called "Napoleon of Crime" who always manages to evade the authorities. Macavity's henchmen capture Old Deuteronomy and take off with the patriarch in tow. As Munkustrap and his troops give chase, Demeter and Bombalurina explain what they know about Macavity ("Macavity: The Mystery Cat"). When they are finished, Macavity returns disguised as Old Deuteronomy, but his cover is blown by Demeter and he ends up in a fight with Munkustrap and Alonzo. Macavity holds his own for a time, but as the rest of the tribe begin to gang up and surround him, he shorts out the stage lights and escapes in the resulting confusion. After the fight, Rum Tum Tugger calls upon the magician Mr. Mistoffelees for help ("Magical Mr. Mistoffelees"). Known as the "original conjuring cat", Mr. Mistoffelees can perform feats of magic that no other cat can do. He displays his magical powers in a dance solo and uses them to restore the lights and bring back Old Deuteronomy. Now, the Jellicle Choice can be made. Before Old Deuteronomy can announce his decision, Grizabella returns to the junkyard and he allows her to address the gathering. Her faded appearance and lonely disposition have little effect on her song ("Memory"). With acceptance and encouragement from Jemima and Victoria, her appeal succeeds and she is chosen to be the one to go to the Heaviside Layer and be reborn into a new Jellicle life ("Journey to the Heaviside Layer"). A tyre rises from the piles of junk, carrying Grizabella and Old Deuteronomy partway toward the sky; Grizabella then completes the journey on her own. In the 1990s and 2000s scaled-down touring productions, she ascends via a flying saucer-like vessel. }} Finally, Old Deuteronomy gives his closing speech to the audience ("The Ad-dressing of Cats") and the show comes to a close. Notes: Music Musical numbers ;Act I * "Overture" – Orchestra * "Prologue: Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats" – The Company * "The Naming of Cats" – The Company * "The Invitation to the Jellicle Ball" – Victoria, Quaxo, Munkustrap, Company * "The Old Gumbie Cat" – Jennyanydots, Munkustrap, Bombalurina, Jellylorum, Demeter, Company * "The Rum Tum Tugger" – Rum Tum Tugger, Quaxo, Bombalurina and Company * "Grizabella: The Glamour Cat" – Grizabella, Demeter, Bombalurina, Company * "Bustopher Jones: The Cat About Town" – Bustopher, Jennyanydots, Bombalurina, Jellylorum, Company * "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer" – Mungojerrie, Rumpleteazer, Company * "Old Deuteronomy" – Munkustrap, Rum Tum Tugger, Old Deuteronomy, Company * "The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles" – Munkustrap, Rumpus Cat and Company * "The Jellicle Ball"* – The Company * "Grizabella: The Glamour Cat (Reprise)" – Jellylorum and Jemima * "Memory (Prelude)" – Grizabella ;Act II * "The Moments of Happiness" – Old Deuteronomy, Jemima, Company * "Gus: The Theatre Cat" – Asparagus, Jellylorum * "Growltiger's Last Stand" (including "The Ballad of Billy M'Caw" or "In Una Tepida Notte")†''' – Growltiger, Griddlebone, Genghis, The Crew, Company * "Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat" – Skimbleshanks and Company * "Macavity: The Mystery Cat" – Demeter, Bombalurina, Girls * "Mr. Mistoffelees" – Mr. Mistoffelees, Rum Tum Tugger, and Company * "Memory" – Grizabella, Jemima * "Journey to the Heaviside Layer" – The Company * "Finale: The Ad-Dressing of Cats" – Old Deuteronomy and Company : '*'Also credited as "Song of the Jellicles and the Jellicle Ball". : '†'Song has been dropped from US and UK productions since 2016. In the 2016 Broadway revival, "The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles" was moved from Act I to Act II to replace this number. Orchestration Based on the definitive 16-piece licensed version. * Woodwind I: flute, tenor sax, soprano sax * Woodwind II: B♭ clarinet, baritone sax, flute * Woodwind III: oboe, cor anglais * Horn I * Horn II * Trumpet I: B♭ trumpet, piccolo trumpet * Trumpet II: B♭ trumpet, flugelhorn * Trombone * Keyboard I: acoustic or electric piano * Keyboard II * Keyboard III * Cello * Guitar: electric, acoustic * Bass * Drums Recordings Several international productions of Cats have released cast recordings. Additionally, by 2006, the most well-known song from Cats, "Memory", had been recorded around 600 times. Music video Characters Cats is an ensemble show with no lead roles. Featured characters , Jemima, Grizabella and Victoria during an event in Germany, 2011.]] Characters who are featured singers and/or dancers: * '''Asparagus (Gus) a.k.a. the Theatre Cat – A frail elderly cat who likes reminiscing about his past exploits when he used to be a famous stage actor. * Bombalurina – A flirty and confident red queen; she is best friends with Demeter and the two share an intense hatred for Macavity. * Bustopher Jones – A fat upper-class cat with a "fastidious black coat and white spats". Respected by all, he is a man of leisure who frequents gentlemen's club for their fine dining. In most productions, the actor playing Gus also plays Bustopher, though in early productions the part was handled by the actor playing Old Deuteronomy. * Demeter – A troubled and skittish queen; she is best friends with Bombalurina and the two share an intense hatred for Macavity. * Griddlebone – Growltiger's lover in "Growltiger's Last Stand", in which she sings "The Ballad of Billy M'Caw" or the mock Italian aria "In Una Tepida Notte" (depending on production). Usually played by the actress playing Jellylorum. * Grizabella – A former "glamour cat", ostracised by the Jellicles, who has lost her sparkle and now only wants to be accepted. * Growltiger – A theatrical character Gus recalls playing in his youth, and who appears in Gus' memory during "Growltiger's Last Stand". In some productions he is portrayed as a vicious pirate; in others, he is more comical. Usually played by the actor playing Gus. * Jellylorum – A queen who watches out for the kittens and takes care of Gus. Named after T. S. Eliot's own cat. * Jemima/Sillabub – The youngest kitten. Idealistic and jovial, she is sympathetic to Grizabella's plight. * Jennyanydots a.k.a. the Old Gumbie Cat – She sits around all day and is seemingly very lazy, but at night, she becomes very active as she rules the mice and cockroaches, forcing them to undertake helpful functions and creative projects to curb their naturally destructive habits. * Macavity – A notorious criminal known as The Napoleon of Crime. He is a featured dancer with no singing parts. The character is a literary allusion to the Sherlock Holmes character Professor Moriarty. * Mr. Mistoffelees – A young black-and-white tuxedo tom learning to control his magical powers. He is a featured dancer, performing his signature "Conjuring Turn" (twenty-four consecutive fouettés en tournant) during his number. Mistoffelees' chorus identity is sometimes known as Quaxo. * Mungojerrie – A mischievous troublemaker, he is one-half of a notorious duo of cat-burglars along with Rumpleteazer. * Munkustrap – A grey tabby tomcat who is the storyteller and protector of the Jellicle tribe. He is Old Deuteronomy's second-in-command and the show's main narrator. * Old Deuteronomy – The wise and benevolent elderly Jellicle leader who is beloved by his tribe. He tries to get the other cats to accept Grizabella all through the show. * Rumpleteazer – A mischievous troublemaker, she is one half of a notorious duo of cat-burglars along with Mungojerrie. * Rum Tum Tugger – A flashy and unappeasable cat who loves to be the centre of attention. * Skimbleshanks a.k.a. the Railway Cat – An upbeat and active orange tabby cat, who lives on the mail trains and acts as an unofficial chaperone to such an extent he is considered rather indispensable to the train and station employees. * Victoria the White Cat – A demure white kitten. She is a featured dancer, opening with a dance solo after "The Naming of the Cats" and is the first character to touch Grizabella. Other characters Other named characters who have appeared in multiple notable productions include: * Admetus/Plato – The chorus identity of Macavity. He is a quiet ginger-and-white young tom, and is typically paired with Victoria in a pas de deux during the Jellicle Ball. * Alonzo – A black-and-white tom. He is vain, insecure and full of bravado. * Bill Bailey/Tumblebrutus – A playful tom kitten, often performing acrobatics as well as being a strong dancer. His costume consists of brown patches (including a brown eye patch) on a white base. The character is named "Bill Bailey" in the UK and renamed as "Tumblebrutus" in the US productions. * Carbucketty/Pouncival – A playful and acrobatic brown-and-white tom kitten. The character of "Carbucketty" (named by T. S. Eliot for a "knockabout cat") is sometimes renamed as "Pouncival"; they are separate characters in the US productions. * ' Cassandra' – An elegant and aloof brown pointed queen. * Coricopat and Tantomile – Mysterious twin brother and sister with psychic abilities. The name "Tantomile" was created by T. S. Eliot for a "witch's cat". * Electra – A reserved and solemn tortoiseshell kitten. Her costume is brown, red and black. * Etcetera – An exuberant and immature tabby kitten. Her costume is white, black and brown. * Rumpus Cat – A spiky-haired cat with glowing red eyes, seen as a sort of superhero figure in "The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles" despite his ineptness. Usually played by one of the male ensemble characters in the play within the musical. Notable casts Notes: One-off film characters * 1998 film: Femi Taylor as Exotica; Tony Timberlake as Asparagus (chorus cat) * 2019 film: Les Twins as Socrates and Plato; Jonadette Carpio as Syllabub Notable replacements Notable replacements from the musical's West End and Broadway runs: West End * Admetus/Macavity: Richard Armitage (1994–1995) * Alonzo: Warren Carlyle (1992), Steven Houghton (1993), Jason Gardiner (1997), Chris Jarvis (2001–2002) * Asparagus/Growltiger: Paul Bentley (1988), Mark Wynter (1990–1992), Peter Polycarpou (2001–2002) * Bill Bailey: Michael Sundin (1982) * Bombalurina: Femi Taylor (1984–1985), Janie Dee (1990), Donna King (1992), Heather Douglas (1999) * Coricopat: Danny John-Jules (1983) * Demeter: Erin Lordan (1985), Louise Fribo (1994–1995) * Electra: Sarah-Jane Honeywell (1993–1994) * Etcetera: Sarah-Jane Honeywell (2001–2002) * Grizabella: Angela Richards (1982), Marti Webb (1983), Anita Harris (1985–1986), Clare Burt (1993), Rosemarie Ford (1995), Diane Langton (1996), Stephanie Lawrence (1997), Sally Ann Triplett (1998), Chrissie Hammond (1999–2002), Kerry Ellis (revival; 2015), Madalena Alberto (revival; 2015–2016) * Jellylorum/Griddlebone: Rebecca Lock (2000–2001) * Jemima: Ruthie Henshall (1987–1989), Louise Fribo (1996), Veerle Casteleyn (1998–1999) * Jennyanydots: Ann Emery (1983–1986) * Mistoffelees: Gen Horiuchi (1998), Louie Spence (1999), Jacob Brent (2001) * Munkustrap: David Burt (1982), Gary Martin (1987–1990), Steven Houghton (1994) * Old Deuteronomy: John Turner (1983–1985), John Rawnsley (1995–1997), Dave Willetts (2001), Junix Inocian (2001–2002) * Rum Tum Tugger: John Partridge (1995, 2001–2002), Tommie Earl Jenkins (1997–1998) * Rumpleteazer: Anna-Jane Casey (1988–1990), Jo Gibb (1996–1997) * Skimbleshanks: Neil Fitzwiliam (1984–1985) * Victoria: Phyllida Crowley Smith (1992–1993) Broadway * Alonzo: Scott Wise (1984) * Bustopher Jones/Asparagus/Growltiger: Tim Jerome (1984–1986), Gregg Edelman (1986) * Cassandra: Charlotte d'Amboise (1984–1985) * Demeter: Lena Hall (1999–2000) * Grizabella: Laurie Beechman (1984–1988, 1997), Loni Ackerman (1988–1991), Lillias White (1991–1992), Liz Callaway (1993–1999), Linda Balgord (1999–2000) * Jennyanydots: Sharon Wheatley (1999–2000) * Mistoffelees: Gen Horiuchi (1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996), Jacob Brent (1996–1999), Christopher Gattelli (1999) * Munkustrap: Rob Marshall (1987), Bryan Batt (1991–1992), Michael Gruber (1996–1997, 1999), Jeffry Denman (1999–2000) * Plato/Macavity/Rumpus Cat: Scott Wise (1983) * Pouncival: Robert Montano (1985–1987), Christopher Gattelli (1996–1998, 1999–2000) * Rum Tum Tugger: David Hibbard (1993–1996, 1997–1999), Stephen Bienskie (1999–2000) * Rumpleteazer: Jennifer Cody (1994) * Tumblebrutus: Randy Bettis (1990–1991, 1996–1998) Artistic elements Musical treatment Cats is completely told through music with no dialogue in between the songs, although there are occasions when the music accompanies spoken verse. Lloyd Webber's compositions employ an eclectic range of musical styles so as to magnify the characters' contrasting personalities. For example, the rebellious Rum Tum Tugger is introduced with a rock song ("The Rum Tum Tugger"); the fallen Grizabella is accompanied by a dramatic operatic aria ("Grizabella: The Glamour Cat"); Old Deuteronomy makes his grand entrance to a lullaby-turned-anthem ("Old Deuteronomy"); and Gus' nostalgia for the past is reflected through an old-fashioned music hall number ("Gus: The Theatre Cat"). Many of the songs are pastiches of their respective genres, which Snelson attributes to the show's origins as a song cycle: }} Lloyd Webber also employs various techniques to help connect the pieces. Namely, the score relies heavily on recurring motifs as well as the use of preludes and reprises. For instance, melodic fragments of "Memory" are sung by Grizabella and Jemima at several points in the show before the song is sung in full, serving to characterize Grizabella and foreshadow her final number. Similarly, Lloyd Webber introduces a fugue in the overture, and variations of this theme are then repeated throughout the musical until it is finally resolved as Grizabella ascends to the Heaviside Layer. The musical also features an unusual amount of "group-description" numbers. According to musicologist Jessica Sternfeld, such numbers are usually relegated to the prologue and nothing more, as seen in "Another Op'nin', Another Show" from Kiss Me, Kate and "Tradition" from Fiddler on the Roof. Cats on the other hand features four Jellicle-defining songs: "Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats", "The Naming of Cats", "The Jellicle Ball" and "The Ad-Dressing of Cats". These numbers allow the cats to celebrate their tribe as a whole, in between the ones that celebrate individual members. Choreography Dance plays a major role in Cats as the creative team had specifically set out to create "England's first dance musical". Before Cats, the industry-wide belief was that British dancers were inferior to their Broadway counterparts. The risky hiring of a British choreographer, Lynne, for a British dance musical was described by one historian as "a vivid and marvellous gesture of transatlantic defiance". Making Lynne's job more challenging was the fact that the music in Cats is unceasing and the majority of the cast remains onstage throughout nearly the entire show. Lynne choreographed the original London production with a skeleton dance crew consisting of her assistant Lindsay Dolan, the dance captain Jo-Anne Robinson, and cast members Finola Hughes and John Thornton. The resulting choreography blends ballet, modern dance, jazz and tap, interspersed with acrobatic displays. Lynne also trained the cast to evoke the movement, physicality and behaviour of actual cats. These feline traits were incorporated into the stage movement and choreography so as to create an "anthropomorphic illusion". Lynne considered the 13-minute "Jellicle Ball" dance to be the crux of the show, noting that in order to work as a dance-driven musical, Cats "had to succeed there or die". She recalled the difficulty she faced in persuading Lloyd Webber to add the extended dance break, culminating in her and her dance crew having to dance all the parts in the "Jellicle Ball" to convince him. Staging The original staging of Cats at the New London Theatre was considered revolutionary and "one of the first truly immersive theatrical experiences". Instead of a conventional proscenium, the theatre was quasi-in-the-round with a central revolving stage. Nunn and Napier had sought to create "an environment rather than a set", and around $900,000 was spent remodelling the New London in preparation for the show. This included mounting sections of the stalls onto the theatre's revolve such that the audience moved along with the stage. When the show was brought to Broadway, the Winter Garden Theatre was given a similar $2 million makeover; its proscenium stage was turned into a thrust, and a part of its roof was torn through to allow for the effects of Grizabella's ascension to the Heaviside Layer. Nunn was also adamant that the orchestra for Cats be hidden backstage — out of the audience's view — so as not to break the immersion. Adding to the experience, the show usually includes a lot of audience interaction, such as during the overture when the cast don flashing "green eyes" as they make their way through the audience in the darkened theatre. In the original Broadway production, catwalks were built to connect the stage to the boxes and balcony so as to give the cast access to the entire auditorium during the show. Set and costume design Napier began designing the set in November 1980, wanting "a place where cats might congregate together, which also included maximum room for dancing". The set of Cats consists of a junkyard filled with oversized props to give the illusion that the cast are the size of actual cats; it remains the same throughout the show without any scene changes. Over 2,500 of these scaled-up props were used to fill the whole auditorium in the original Broadway production. Napier also designed the costumes, combining cat and human features based on "hints" given in Eliot's poems, while ensuring that they did not impede the dancers' movements. The costumes generally comprise of a unitard, a wig that is fashioned to suggest the presence of feline ears in a fur-covered head, patches resembling body fur, and arm and leg warmers to give the performers' hands and feet a more paw-like appearance. As with the contrasting music and dance styles, the costumes and make-up are used to bring out each character's distinct personality. For example, the costume for the flirtatious Bombalurina is designed to accentuate her sexiness, while the markings on the costume for Jemima — the youngest of the tribe — resemble crayon scribbles. Every character's design motif is custom-painted by hand onto a plain unitard to line up with their performer's individual body. In order to reproduce the "hand-drawn aesthetic" of Napier's original design sketches, costume painters in the original Broadway production used squeeze bottles to apply the paint. Due to the amount of dancing in Cats, most of the costume did not last longer than a few months. Production history Cats has been translated into over 15 languages and produced professionally in more than 30 countries. London Cats premiered in the West End at the New London Theatre on 11 May 1981. The musical was produced by Cameron Mackintosh and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group, with direction by Trevor Nunn, choreography by Gillian Lynne (who also served as the associate director), set and costume design by John Napier, lighting design by David Hersey, sound design by Abe Jacob and music direction by Harry Rabinowitz. It played a total of 8,949 performances in London. Its final performance was on its 21st anniversary, 11 May 2002, and was broadcast live on a large outdoor screen in Covent Garden for fans who could not acquire a ticket. It held the record as London's longest-running musical from 1989, when it surpassed Jesus Christ Superstar, until 8 October 2006, when it was surpassed by Les Misérables. The musical returned to the West End in 2014 for a planned 12-week limited run at the London Palladium. Beginning on 6 December, the revival starred Nicole Scherzinger as Grizabella, and featured the original creative team, with direction from Nunn, choreography by Lynne and design by Napier. Lloyd Webber was also involved and rewrote "The Rum Tum Tugger" and "Growltiger's Last Stand" for the revival. The run was later extended through April 2015 and an additional 100,000 tickets were released, with Kerry Ellis replacing Scherzinger as Grizabella. The musical returned once again to the London Palladium for another limited run lasting from 23 October 2015 to 2 January 2016, starring Beverley Knight as Grizabella. Broadway ]] Cats debuted on Broadway on 7 October 1982 at the Winter Garden Theater with a record-breaking $6.2 million in ticket pre-sales. Most of the original creative team remained, with Martin Levan replacing Jacob as the sound designer and Stanley Lebowsky replacing Rabinowitz as music director. The musical was co-produced by the original London production team, along with David Geffen and The Shubert Organization. It was the most expensive Broadway show ever mounted at the time with a production cost of $5.5 million, though it recouped its investment in less than 10 months. On 19 June 1997, Cats overtook A Chorus Line to become the longest-running show in Broadway history with 6,138 performances. At the time, the musical was found to have had an economic impact of $3.12 billion on New York City and had generated the most theatrical jobs of any single entity in Broadway history. A June closing date was announced in early 2000 but was subsequently pushed back after a resulting surge in ticket sales. The show closed on 10 September 2000 after a total of 13 previews and 7,485 performances. One actress, Marlene Danielle, performed in the Broadway production for its entire 18-year run. |group= n}} Its Broadway-run record was surpassed on 9 January 2006 by The Phantom of the Opera, and Cats remains Broadway's fourth-longest-running show of all time. Overall, the original Broadway production grossed approximately $388 million in ticket sales. Encouraged by the reception to the first West End revival, producers began looking to bring Cats back to Broadway in early 2015. The Broadway revival opened on 31 July 2016 at the Neil Simon Theatre. It featured new choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, with Nunn and Napier from the original creative team returning to direct and design respectively. Scherzinger, who played Grizabella in the 2014 West End revival, had originally agreed to reprise the role on Broadway but later withdrew.Andrew Lloyd Webber Reveals Nicole Scherzinger Backed Out of CATS on Broadway: 'I'm Furious' Broadway World, Retrieved 13 May 2016 Leona Lewis was cast as Grizabella instead and was ultimately succeeded by Mamie Parris in October 2016. The Broadway revival closed on 30 December 2017 after 16 previews and 593 performances. North America Following its Broadway debut, Cats has been staged extensively across North America. The first US national tour, Cats National I, launched at the Shubert Theatre in Boston in December 1983 and closed in November 1987. The opening night cast included Laurie Beechman playing Grizabella and Charlotte d'Amboise playing Cassandra; later replacements included Victoria Clark and Jessica Molaskey both playing Jellylorum/Griddlebone. This production was a "slow tour" that had lengthy engagements lasting for several months in each of the nine cities it visited. Cats National II, a separate sit-down production at the Los Angeles Shubert Theatre, ran from January 1985 to November 1986, and starred Kim Criswell and George de la Peña in the roles of Grizabella and Mistoffelees respectively. A third US touring company, Cats National III, ran for two years from September 1986 to September 1988. Notable performers in the third tour included Jonathan Cerullo as Skimbleshanks (1986) and Bill Nolte as Old Deuteronomy (1987). The fourth national company, Cats National IV, toured the United States for 13 years from March 1987 to December 1999. It overtook the first national tour of Oklahoma! in November 1997 to become the longest-running tour in theatre history, and played its 5,000th performance in July 1999. Notable performers in the fourth tour included Amelia Marshall as Sillabub (1988), Jan Horvath as Grizabella (1990), Bryan Batt as Munkustrap (1991–1992), Jennifer Cody as Rumpleteazer (1992), David Hibbard as Rum Tum Tugger (1992–1993), Natalie Toro as Grizabella (1992, 1997), Christopher Gattelli as Mistoffelees (1993), John Treacy Egan as Old Deuteronomy (1993–1994), J. Robert Spencer as Rum Tum Tugger (1995), Bart Shatto as Bustopher Jones/Gus/Growltiger (1996), Linda Balgord as Grizabella (1998), Andy Karl as Rum Tum Tugger (1998), and Lena Hall as Demeter (1998). By June 1997, the North American touring companies had grossed over $400 million. After the show's closure on Broadway in 2000, Troika Entertainment obtained the touring rights for Cats and launched the show's first non-Equity national company. After a try-out at Harrah's Atlantic City in July 2001, the production toured North America for 11 years from August 2001 to June 2012. Performers in the non-Equity tour included Julie Garnyé as Jennyanydots (2001) and Dee Roscioli as Grizabella (2002). In January 2019, a new North American Equity tour based on the 2016 Broadway revival opened at the Providence Performing Arts Center in Rhode Island, and is scheduled to run through June 2020. Meanwhile, the first Canadian national production premiered in March 1985 at the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres in Toronto, Ontario. It moved to Montreal two years later and then toured other parts of Canada. By the time the production closed in August 1989, it had become the most successful Canadian stage production of all time with a box office of $78 million from nearly 2 million tickets. A second Canadian touring company began in 2013, 28 years after the first one launched. The musical first played in Mexico from April 1991 to November 1992, where the Spanish-language production performed over 400 shows and starred María del Sol as Grizabella, Manuel Landeta as Munkustrap, Susana Zabaleta as Jellylorum, Maru Dueñas as Sillabub and Ariel López Padilla as Macavity. A revival premiered at the Teatro San Rafael in May 2013, with an opening night cast that included Filippa Giordano as Grizabella, Landeta, and Maru Dueñas. After a total of 350 performances, the show closed at the Teatro San Rafael in June 2014, and toured over 36 cities in Mexico until December 2014. Other performers who later joined the production included Lisset, Rocío Banquells, Lila Deneken and Myriam Montemayor Cruz, all of whom played Grizabella. Another Mexican revival was launched at the Coyoacán Centennial Theater in October 2018, with Yuri as Grizabella and Landeta as Old Deuteronomy. The revival celebrated its 200th performance in May 2019. United Kingdom The first UK and Ireland tour opened in May 1989 at the Opera House Theatre in Blackpool. The cast for this tour included Marti Webb as Grizabella, Rosemarie Ford as Bombalurina and John Partridge as Alonzo. Following a six-month engagement in Blackpool that broke the theatre's box office record and was seen by around 450,000 people, the production moved to the Edinburgh Playhouse for three months, before closing in May 1990 after another two months at the Point Theatre in Dublin. A second national tour launched in June 1993 at the Bristol Hippodrome, featuring Rosemarie Ford as Grizabella, Robin Cousins as Munkustrap, Simon Rice as Mistoffelees and Tony Monopoly as Old Deuteronomy. The tour closed at the Manchester Opera House in December 1995. Following the closure of the original West End production, a nationwide tour embarked in 2003 with Chrissie Hammond starring as Grizabella, until Dianne Pilkington took over the role in 2006. Hammond reprised the role on tour again from 2007 to 2008. A UK tour of Cats launched in February 2013 at the Edinburgh Playhouse with Joanna Ampil as Grizabella, running through 2014 before transferring to the West End. In between its limited West End runs, the musical returned to the Blackpool Opera House Theatre in 2015, this time starring Jane McDonald as Grizabella. After the second West End revival, the production toured the UK in 2016 with Anita Louise Combe as Grizabella and Marcquelle Ward as Rum Tum Tugger. Japan , Tokyo (2008)]] The Japanese-language production of Cats by the Shiki Theatre Company has been playing continuously since it premiered in Shinjuku, Tokyo, in November 1983. Cats was the first long-running stage production in Japan and this production is a "slow tour" with engagements lasting for several years in each of the nine cities it has visited. , the show is performed at the purpose-built CATS Theatre in Tokyo, and has played to over 10 million audiences. The production celebrated its 35th anniversary in November 2018 and performed its 10,000th show in March the following year. The Japanese script was translated by Keita Asari, the founder of the Shiki Theatre Company. Similar to the original London staging, the set of the 1,200-capacity CATS Theatre is built on a revolving stage floor such that during the overture, the stage and sections of the stalls revolve approximately 180 degrees into place. In 1998, the Japanese production underwent major revisions to the choreography, staging and costume designs. Following further revisions in 2018, the current incarnation features 25 named cats, including both Jemima and Sillabub (who have evolved into two separate characters), and an original character named Gilbert. There have been numerous notable performers in the Japanese production, including Shintarō Sonooka as Munkustrap (original 1983 cast), Kanji Ishimaru as Skimbleshanks (1992), Masachika Ichimura, and Mayo Kawasaki. Yoshiko Hattori (ja:服部良子) holds the production's record for the longest-appearing cast member; she played Jennyanydots in the original 1983 cast and remained in the role for 20 years with a final performance tally of 4,251. Germany A German-language production by Stella Entertainment premiered in April 1986 at the Operettenhaus in Hamburg. It closed in January 2001 after 15 years, having played over 6,100 performances to over 6 million audiences. Cats was a big boost for tourism in Hamburg, particularly the subdivision of St. Pauli where it accounted for 30% of all tourists. The number of overnight visitors to the city increased by over one million per year within the first five years of the show's premiere. After Hamburg, the production transferred to Stuttgart where it played from 2001 to 2002. Stage Entertainment took over the production mid-2002 and moved the show to Berlin (2002–2004) and later Düsseldorf (2004–2005), before touring other cities until 2006. A separate theatre company of Cats also toured Germany from December 2010 to June 2013, performing in a travelling purpose-built tent theatre. Europe 1980s and 1990s The first non-English production of Cats premiered in March 1983 at the Madách Theatre in Budapest, Hungary, with direction by Tamás Szirtes and choreography by László Seregi. Since then, the Hungarian-language production has continued to be staged intermittently as part of the Madách Theatre's repertoire and, as of 2017, has been performed nearly 1,500 times. The first German-language production opened in September 1983 at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna, Austria. After 2,040 performances to more than 2.3 million audiences, the show transferred to the Ronacher Theatre in late 1988, where it ran for another two years before closing on its seventh anniversary in September 1990. The original Viennese cast included Ute Lemper who played Bombalurina, Steve Barton who played Munkustrap, and Robert Montano who played Pouncival. Pia Douwes was also a member of the Viennese cast from 1987 to 1989, covering several different characters including Grizabella. The Viennese production also performed limited runs at the Komische Oper Berlin in East Germany in 1987, and at the Moscow Operetta Theatre in the Soviet Union in 1988. November 1985 saw the premiere of a Norwegian-language production at Det Norske Teatret in Oslo. It closed in January 1987 and included performers such as Øivind Blunck, Brit Elisabeth Haagensli and Øystein Wiik. Jorma Uotinen directed and choreographed a Finnish production at the Helsinki City Theatre that ran for over two years from September 1986 to December 1988, and featured Monica Aspelund as Grizabella, Heikki Kinnunen as Gus, and Kristiina Elstelä as Jennyanydots/Griddlebone. A Swedish version of the musical opened in 1987 at the Chinateatern in Stockholm. The production was seen by 326,000 audiences before it transferred to the Scandinavium in Gothenburg two years later. Meanwhile, the Carré Theatre in Amsterdam, Netherlands, staged the musical in 1987 (with Ruth Jacott as Grizabella ), 1988 and from 1992 to 1993. Cats made its French debut at the Théâtre de Paris from February 1989 to April 1990. The show was also produced in Zürich at the ABB Musical Theatre from 1991 to 1993, while a production by Joop van den Ende and the Royal Ballet of Flanders was staged at the Stadsschouwburg Antwerpen in Belgium in 1996. An English-language "Eurotour" production also toured Europe in the mid-1990s. 21st century The show was staged at the Det Ny Teater in Copenhagen, Denmark, in the 2002–2003 season. The Danish production was translated by Adam Price and was one of the largest theatrical productions ever mounted in the country at the time with 100 performers, musicians and stagehands. The first non-replica production of Cats was approved for a Polish production at the Teatr Muzyczny Roma in Warsaw. The Polish show opened in January 2004 and closed in 2010. Other productions were also staged at the Divadlo Milenium in Prague from 2004 to 2005, a Swedish revival at the Gothenburg opera house from September 2006 to February 2007, and a Norwegian revival at the Chat Noir in Oslo in 2009. The first Italian-language production toured Italy in the 2009–2010 season. The Dutch live entertainment company Stage Entertainment has been responsible for several European productions of Cats. The company produced the musical at the Coliseum Theatre in Madrid from December 2003 to January 2005, with a cast that included Víctor Ullate as Mistoffelees. They then staged a Russian-language production at the Moscow Palace of Youth from 2005 to 2006, with a cast that included Ivan Ozhogin as Munkustrap. A Dutch production under the same company toured the Netherlands and Belgium from 2006 to 2007, featuring several performers in the role of Grizabella including Pia Douwes and Anita Meyer. A Paris revival by Stage Entertainment ran at the Théâtre Mogador from October 2015 to July 2016. This production was based on the 2014 London revival and also featured a new song written especially for the French show by Lloyd Webber. A non-replica Finnish production by Georg Malviuksen premiered at the Tampere Theatre in September 2017, and was the theatre's most-watched production in 2018. The Viennese version of Cats is scheduled to be revived by Vereinigte Bühnen Wien at the Ronacher Theatre in September 2019. English-language touring companies have also toured the European region extensively. International tours in the early to late 2000s included stops in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Greece, Portugal, * "'Cats' Mais Tempo em Lisboa" 'Cats' in Lisbon. Correio da Manhã (in Portuguese). 11 July 2004. Retrieved 18 April 2019. * "Cats the musical returns to Portugal". Portugal Resident. 23 August 2006. Retrieved 18 April 2019. Germany, and Italy. The 2013–2014 UK tour visited cities in Belgium, Greece, Italy, Monaco, and Portugal. Most recently, a UK production played in numerous European cities from 2016 to 2019, with tour stops in Switzerland, Croatia, Belgium, Poland, Bulgaria, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Netherlands, and Luxembourg.* "Tour Dates (2016)". catsthemusical.com (official website). Archived from the original on 12 April 2016. Retrieved on 15 April 2019. *. catsthemusical.com (official website). Archived from the original on 24 March 2017. Retrieved on 15 April 2019. * "Tour Dates (2018–19)". catsthemusical.com (official website). Archived from the original on 14 December 2018. Retrieved on 15 April 2019. These European tours have featured several notable performers in the role of Grizabella, including Katarína Hasprová (Slovakia, 2016) and Jenna Lee-James (Netherlands, 2018–2019). Oceania The first Australian production ran from July 1985 to August 1987 at the Theatre Royal in Sydney. The original Sydney cast included Debra Byrne as Grizabella, Marina Prior as Jellylorum, Jeff Phillips as Rum Tum Tugger, David Atkins as Mistoffelees, and Anita Louise Combe as Sillabub. It then moved to Her Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne where it played from October 1987 to December 1988, with Femi Taylor as Bombalurina and Seán Martin Hingston as Plato/Macavity. From 1989 to 1990, the company toured the Festival Theatre in Adelaide, His Majesty's Theatre in Perth, Civic Theatre in Newcastle, Lyric Theatre in Brisbane, and the Aotea Centre in Auckland. This was followed by a second national tour from 1993 to 1996, * "Cats, Princess Theatre (1886- ), Melbourne, VIC, 28 August 1993, 6 November 1993". AusStage. Retrieved 14 April 2019. * "Cats, Lyric Theatre, South Brisbane, QLD, 28 July 1994, 3 September 1994". AusStage. Retrieved 14 April 2019. * "Cats, Newcastle Civic Theatre, Newcastle, NSW, 10 September 1994, 1 October 1994". AusStage. Retrieved 14 April 2019. * "Cats, Her Majesty's Theatre (1973-2001), Sydney, NSW, 31 December 1994". AusStage. Retrieved 14 April 2019. * "Cats, Festival Theatre, Adelaide, SA, 30 December 1995, 27 January 1996". AusStage. Retrieved 14 April 2019. during which Delia Hannah made her debut as Grizabella in 1994. A professional circus adaptation of Cats, titled Cats Run Away to the Circus, had a national tent tour from 1999 to 2001, with Hannah once again starring as Grizabella. * "Cats Run Away to the Circus, Australia, Australia, 11 December 1999, 24 February 2001". AusStage. Retrieved 14 April 2019. * "Cats Run Away to the Circus, Samuel Sherlock Reserve, Frankston, VIC, 3 January 2001". AusStage. Retrieved 14 April 2019. * "Cats Run Away to the Circus, Amphitheatre, Gateway Island, Wodonga, VIC, 10 January 2001". AusStage. Retrieved 14 April 2019. * "Cats Run Away to the Circus, Bolton Park, Wagga Wagga, NSW, 17 January 2001". AusStage. Retrieved 14 April 2019. * "Cats Run Away to the Circus, Aerodrome Ovals, Mildura, VIC, 24 January 2001". AusStage. Retrieved 14 April 2019. * "Cats Run Away to the Circus, Weroona Oval, Bendigo, VIC, 31 January 2001". AusStage. Retrieved 14 April 2019. * "Cats Run Away to the Circus, North Gardens, Ballarat, VIC, 7 February 2001". AusStage. Retrieved 14 April 2019. * "Cats Run Away to the Circus, Vansittart Park, Mt Gambier, SA, 14 February 2001". AusStage. Retrieved 14 April 2019. * "Cats Run Away to the Circus, Harris Street Reserve, Warrnambool, VIC, 21 February 2001". AusStage. Retrieved 14 April 2019. Hannah reprised her role for another production that toured Australia and Asia in 2009 and 2010. In July 2014, Australia's Harvest Rain Theatre Company staged the biggest production of Cats in the Southern Hemisphere with over 700 performers. Produced by Tim O'Connor, the production was performed at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre. Callum Mansfield directed and choreographed it, and its record-breaking cast included Marina Prior as Grizabella and Steven Tandy as Bustopher Jones and Gus. From October 2015 to May 2016, a revival toured Australia with stops in Sydney, Hobart, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth. The revival featured singer-songwriter Delta Goodrem as Grizabella, before Delia Hannah took over the role during the Adelaide and Perth seasons. The musical played in Auckland from 1989 to 1990, and for a limited run in 2015. A New Zealand production played across 16 cities in 2019. Asia English-language productions of Cats have toured Asia regularly. The show performed in Asia from 1993 to 1994, playing in Singapore (with local actress Jacintha Abisheganaden as Grizabella), Hong Kong and South Korea. Cats returned to Asia from 2002 to 2004 when it visited Malaysia, South Korea, * "캣츠 Cats (2003/01/29 ~ 2003/03/02)" (in Korean). 플레이 DB. Retrieved 19 April 2019. * "캣츠 CATS (2003/12/02 ~ 2004/01/04)" (in Korean). 플레이 DB. Retrieved 19 April 2019. Shanghai, Taipei and Beijing; the 2004 cast included Slindile Nodangala in the role of Grizabella. A touring company visited Asia again between 2007 and 2010, including stops in Taiwan, Macau, and Thailand in 2007; South Korea from 2007 to 2009; * "캣츠 – 대구 CATS (2007/05/31 ~ 2007/07/01)" (in Korean). 플레이 DB. Retrieved 19 April 2019. * "캣츠 CATS (2007/07/06 ~ 2007/09/02)" (in Korean). 플레이 DB. Retrieved 19 April 2019. * "캣츠 Cats (2008/05/30 ~ 2008/08/31)" (in Korean). 플레이 DB. Retrieved 19 April 2019. * "캣츠 – 대구 Cats (2008/09/05 ~ 2008/09/21)" (in Korean). 플레이 DB. Retrieved 19 April 2019. * "캣츠 – 부산 Cats (2008/09/27 ~ 2008/10/26)" (in Korean). 플레이 DB. Retrieved 19 April 2019. * "캣츠 CATS (2009/02/06 ~ 2009/02/15)" (in Korean). 플레이 DB. Retrieved 19 April 2019. * "캣츠 – 수원 CATS (2009/03/07 ~ 2009/03/15)" (in Korean). 플레이 DB. Retrieved 19 April 2019. * "캣츠 – 광주 CATS (2009/04/21 ~ 2009/04/26)" (in Korean). 플레이 DB. Retrieved 19 April 2019. China in 2008; Singapore and Hong Kong in 2009 (with Delia Hannah playing Grizabella); and Manila in 2010 (with Lea Salonga as Grizabella). Cats toured Asia again from 2014 to 2015, making stops in South Korea, Singapore and Macau. Two years later, another international tour was launched and is scheduled to run through 2020, with visits to South Korea from 2017 to 2018, * "캣츠 CATS (2017/07/09 ~ 2017/09/10)" (in Korean). 플레이 DB. Retrieved 19 April 2019. * "캣츠 – 울산 CATS (2017/10/13 ~ 2017/10/15)" (in Korean). 플레이 DB. Retrieved 19 April 2019. * "캣츠 – 인천 CATS (2017/10/20 ~ 2017/10/22)" (in Korean). 플레이 DB. Retrieved 19 April 2019. * "캣츠 – 성남 (2017/11/24 ~ 2017/11/26)" (in Korean). 플레이 DB. Retrieved 19 April 2019. * "캣츠 CATS (2018/01/27 ~ 2018/02/18)" (in Korean). 플레이 DB. Retrieved 19 April 2019. Hong Kong and Taiwan in 2018, China in 2018 (with Joanna Ampil as Grizabella) and 2019, and planned stops in the Philippines and Singapore in 2019, and Malaysia in 2020. * "Tour Dates (2019) p.1". catsthemusical.com (official website). Archived from the original on 15 April 2019. Retrieved on 15 April 2019. * "Tour Dates (2019) p.2". catsthemusical.com (official website). Archived from the original on 19 June 2019. Retrieved on 20 June 2019. The musical has also been translated and staged nationally in Asia. From September 2008 to January 2009, a Korean-language production performed at the Charlotte Theatre in Seoul, with Shin Youngsook and Ock Joo-hyun alternating as Grizabella, Kim Jin-woo and Daesung alternating as Rum Tum Tugger, and Kim Bo-kyung as Rumpleteazer. This production was revived and toured South Korea from 2011 to 2012, with Insooni and Park Hae-mi taking turns to portray Grizabella. * "캣츠 – 이천 CATS (2011/08/26 ~ 2011/08/28)" (in Korean). 플레이 DB. Retrieved 19 April 2019. * "캣츠 – 전주 CATS (2011/09/02 ~ 2011/09/04)" (in Korean). 플레이 DB. Retrieved 19 April 2019. * "캣츠 Musical Cats (2011/09/17 ~ 2011/12/31)" (in Korean). 플레이 DB. Retrieved 19 April 2019. * "캣츠 – 부산 Musical CATS (2012/01/13 ~ 2012/01/29)" (in Korean). 플레이 DB. Retrieved 19 April 2019. * "캣츠 – 광주 Musical CATS (2012/02/03 ~ 2012/02/05)" (in Korean). 플레이 DB. Retrieved 19 April 2019. * "캣츠 – 창원 Musical CATS (2012/02/10 ~ 2012/02/12)" (in Korean). 플레이 DB. Retrieved 19 April 2019. * "캣츠 – 대전 Musical CATS (2012/02/17 ~ 2012/02/19)" (in Korean). 플레이 DB. Retrieved 19 April 2019. * "캣츠 – 인천 Musical CATS (2012/02/24 ~ 2012/02/26)" (in Korean). 플레이 DB. Retrieved 19 April 2019. * "캣츠 – 진주 Musical CATS (2012/03/09 ~ 2012/03/11)" (in Korean). 플레이 DB. Retrieved 19 April 2019. * "캣츠 – 청주 Musical CATS (2012/03/17 ~ 2012/03/18)" (in Korean). 플레이 DB. Retrieved 19 April 2019. * "캣츠 – 군포 Musical CATS (2012/03/23 ~ 2012/03/25)" (in Korean). 플레이 DB. Retrieved 19 April 2019. * "캣츠 – 대구 Musical CATS Musical CATS (2012/04/06 ~ 2012/04/08)" (in Korean). 플레이 DB. Retrieved 19 April 2019. * "캣츠 – 제주 Musical CATS (2012/04/20 ~ 2012/04/22)" (in Korean). 플레이 DB. Retrieved 19 April 2019. The first Mandarin-language production toured various cities in China in 2012. Others Spanish and Portuguese-language productions of Cats have been staged in South America, with productions in Argentina in 1993 (with Olivia Bucio as Grizabella), in Chile in 2006 (at the Arena Santiago) and 2014, in Colombia in 2009, and in Brazil in 2010 (with Paula Lima as Grizabella). Other countries that the musical has been performed in include South Africa (2001–2002), Lebanon (2002), Qatar (2003, 2017), Turkey (2013), Israel (2014), and the United Arab Emirates (2017). Royal Caribbean International announced in April 2014 that a full-length production of Cats will be performed regularly for guests aboard the cruise ship Oasis of the Seas. The production began playing in autumn 2014 and the cast is rotated every nine months. Regional and amateur , India (2014)]] Cats has been produced by professional regional theatre companies. Broadway Sacramento staged the musical in 2003 and 2009 at the Wells Fargo Pavilion. Both productions featured Ken Page reprising his role as Old Deuteronomy from the original Broadway production, along with Jacquelyn Piro Donovan as Grizabella and Jeffry Denman as Munkustrap. A 2010 amphitheatre production at The Muny starred Page as Old Deuteronomy, Stephanie J. Block as Grizabella and Lara Teeter as Munkustrap. The La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts staged the musical in 2014, with a cast that included Todrick Hall as Rum Tum Tugger. The musical is also available for school and amateur licensing through The Musical Company. On 24 March 2013, the largest production of Cats was staged by 3,000 students from Stagecoach Theatre Arts schools at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, UK. Critical reception London The original London production received mostly rave reviews, with critics hailing it as a watershed moment in British musical theatre. Michael Billington of The Guardian lauded Cats as "an exhilarating piece of total theatre". Billington praised the show's "strong framework" and the ease in which the poems were integrated. He was also very impressed by Lloyd Webber's fitting compositions, Napier's environmental set, Lynne's effective and at times brilliant choreography, and Nunn's "dazzling staging" that makes use of the entire auditorium. The show received similarly glowing reviews from The Sunday Times Derek Jewell and The Stage s Peter Hepple. Jewell proclaimed it to be "among the most exhilarating and innovative musicals ever staged", while Hepple declared that with Cats, "the British musical has taken a giant leap forward, surpassing in ingenuity and invention anything Broadway has sent us". There were a few lukewarm reviews, most notably from Irving Wardle of The Times. Wardle enjoyed Lloyd Webber's compositions but felt that the sets and visual effects were too overwhelming. He also found the integration of the poems and the story's happy ending to be contrived. Robert Cushman's review for The Observer concluded that Cats was flawed but unmissable. He commended Lloyd Webber's music as well as Nunn's technical achievements, and contended that Lynne's "Jellicle Ball" choreography "must be the most exciting number ever seen in a British musical". However, he felt that the plot was lacking and found "Memory" to be ineffectual, although he noted that the special effects for Grizabella's ascension to the Heaviside Layer were more than enough reason to see the show. The reviews for the 2014 and 2015 London revivals were positive as well, with critics giving both productions an average of 4 out of 5 stars. Critics generally found the revivals to be enjoyable and invigorating, though Mark Shenton was disappointed that the new staging lacked the immersiveness of the original. Broadway Reactions to the original Broadway production were mixed. In his review for The New York Times, Frank Rich noted that the main draw of the show was that it "transports the audience into a complete fantasy world that could only exist in the theater". He attributed much of this "wondrous spectacle" to Nunn's direction, Napier's set and costume designs, as well as the talented cast. Rich found many of Lloyd Webber's songs to be "cleverly and appropriately" pastiche, and was impressed with how Lynne and Nunn distinguished each character through personalised movement. However, he panned Lynne's choreography and felt that the musical failed in its vague attempt to tell a story. Overall, he wished that the show had more "feeling to go with its most inventive stagecraft." Clive Barnes of the New York Post concluded his review saying: "Its importance lies in its wholeheartedness. It is a statement of musical theater that cannot be ignored, should prove controversial and will never be forgotten." The 2016 Broadway revival received a similarly mixed review by Charles Isherwood of The New York Times. Isherwood concluded that the revival was "fundamentally the Cats you knew and loved when you were first bit by the musical-theater bug. Or it's the Cats you knew and snickered at when you first encountered it." Awards and nominations Cats has received many international awards and nominations. The original London production was nominated for six Laurence Olivier Awards in 1981, winning two awards including Best New Musical. Two years later, the original Broadway production won seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, out of eleven nominations. The London and Broadway cast recordings were nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, which the latter won. In 2015, the London revival was nominated for — but did not win — two Olivier Awards, including Best Musical Revival. Film adaptations Steven Spielberg's Amblimation had planned an animated adaptation of the musical, but the project was abandoned with the studio's closure in 1997. The following year, a direct-to-video film was released. The film was directed by David Mallet and was shot at the Adelphi Theatre in London. It starred Elaine Paige as Grizabella, John Mills as Gus, Ken Page as Old Deuteronomy, and Michael Gruber as Munkustrap. A film adaptation directed by Tom Hooper for Universal Pictures and Working Title Films is scheduled to premiere on 20 December 2019. The film will star Jennifer Hudson as Grizabella, Taylor Swift as Bombalurina, James Corden as Bustopher Jones, Judi Dench as Old Deuteronomy, Jason Derulo as Rum Tum Tugger, Idris Elba as Macavity, Ian McKellen as Gus, Rebel Wilson as Jennyanydots and Francesca Hayward as Victoria. It will use CGI instead of hand-drawn animation. Legacy Cats was an unprecedented commercial hit, grossing over $2 billion worldwide by 1994. It became a cultural phenomenon and was hugely influential. Cultural commentator Mark Steyn half-jokingly observed that the history of musical theatre is divided into two periods: "BC — Before Cats — and AD — Andrew Dominant". Impact and innovations Cats was the "first true megamusical", pioneering a genre of musical theatre that is produced on a grand and global scale. Despite mixed reviews when it first opened in New York, critics agreed that the musical was innovative and visually spectacular in a way that Broadway had never seen before. It paved the way for later megamusicals — including Les Misérables (1985), The Phantom of the Opera (1986) and Miss Saigon (1989) — that have dominated the industry since. Theatre scholar Vagelis Siropoulos explained: }} The musical's fantasy setting and disregard for verisimilitude allowed for groundbreaking experimentations in stage lighting and audio technology. The original West End and Broadway productions featured David Hersey's novel use of intelligent lighting to produce kaleidoscopic landscapes and complicated optical effects. Hersey also used light in an "architectural manner", with fast-changing configurations to spotlight different performers in rapid succession. This dynamic shifting of the audience's perspective created an effect similar to that of fast cutting in film editing. Cats was also the first production in which the entire cast was outfitted with radio microphones. This departure from ambient microphones meant that the show did not have to depend on the acoustics and architectural design of the theatrical venue, and enabled the sound designer to achieve cinematic levels of sound amplification and studio-quality audio in live theatre. This technique transformed sound design and has since become the norm in live theatre. The unprecedented global demand for Cats opened new regional, touring and international markets that the theatre industry continues to benefit from. In the 1980s, the success of local productions of Cats in Tokyo, Sydney, Vienna, Hamburg, and Toronto, were turning points for musical theatre in these cities and established them (and their respective countries) as major commercial markets in the global theatrical circuit. Furthermore, its revue-style format and visual spectacle made Cats easily accessible and allowed the original Broadway production to tap into an international audience amid the tourist boom in New York City. It thus paved the way for later Broadway musicals like Mamma Mia! to capitalise on the tourist market. The musical was also a boon for the Broadway touring industry. In 1997, The New York Times credited the regional and touring productions of Cats with "almost single-handedly reviving the sagging road business". Cats revolutionised the touring business by introducing the now commonplace practice of extended touring engagements that can last several weeks or months in a single city, as opposed to the typical one-week tour stop. Mackintosh's insistence that all touring productions of Cats replicate the Broadway production also resulted in the expansion and upgrading of regional theatre venues to accommodate the musical's demanding logistical requirements, as local theatre owners did not want to miss out on the opportunity to host the lucrative show. Beyond the megamusical, Cats has also influenced other forms of musical theatre. According to The Guardian s Billington, Cats disregard for dramatic text in favour of an all-encompassing theatrical experience led to the subsequent rise of the jukebox musical genre. The producers also targeted family audiences with their marketing campaigns at a time when this demographic was not a consideration for the industry. Composer Joe Raposo said of family musicals in 1986: "Cats is a wonderful proof of what an audience is out there, untapped. People do want a theatrical experience for their children ... There is nothing like sitting in the dark in the theater and watching something that makes you feel good." Since then, other family-friendly musicals such as the Disney Theatrical Productions have followed suit. Cats was also the first Broadway and West End show to capitalise on merchandising as a major revenue stream. Stalls were set up in the lobby of the New London Theatre to sell souvenirs emblazoned with the cat's-eyes logo, and the official Cats t-shirt became the second-best-selling t-shirt in the world — after the Hard Rock Cafe t-shirt — in the 1980s. Merchandising has since become an important source of revenue for many musicals. Despite previous moderate hits with Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita, Lloyd Webber was still relatively unknown to the general public before Cats, especially in the United States. With Cats, he became a big celebrity in his own right. The musical also established the careers of the rest of the original creative and production team. Following Cats, they continued to collaborate on other big musical projects including Starlight Express (composed by Lloyd Webber, directed by Nunn and designed by Napier), Les Misérables (directed by Nunn, designed by Napier and produced by Mackintosh), The Phantom of the Opera (composed by Lloyd Webber, choreographed by Lynne and produced by Mackintosh) and Sunset Boulevard (composed by Lloyd Webber, directed by Nunn and designed by Napier). Ultimately, critics disagree on whether Cats has changed musical theatre for the better or for the worse. The New York Times William Grimes wrote of its detractors: "There are more than a few who see the Cats phenomenon as the theatrical equivalent of the rise of the megabudget Hollywood action film. For them, Cats is a soulless money machine." In 1997, Lloyd Webber said in defense of his show: Faber and Faber As the licensing rights holder for Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, the independent British publishing house Faber and Faber has benefited significantly from the royalty payments from Cats, especially during the 1980s when the royalties kept them afloat. Moreover, the musical led to a large surge in the sales of Eliot's book. The success of Cats led Faber and Faber to turn another of their literary properties, Ted Hughes' The Iron Man, into a musical of the same name. In popular media Cats has been referenced and satirised many times on screen; from the film Team America: World Police, to the sketch comedy Saturday Night Live, and animated series like Family Guy, The Simpsons and BoJack Horseman, as well as live action comedies including The Golden Girls, Caroline in the City, Glee and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. An episode of the musical television series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, titled "I Need Some Balance", parodied Cats by having all the songs sung by anthropomorphic cats who "introduce themselves over '80s Broadway beats". Stage parodies of the musical have also been mounted in the West End and Off-Broadway. CAT – (THE PLAY!!!), a one-man show written by Jamie Beamish and Richard Hardwick, is a dark comedy about the fictitious life of Dave, a cat who was fired from the original London production of Cats on opening night. Starring Gerard McCarthy as Dave and with choreography by Arlene Phillips, the musical premiered at the 2014 Edinburgh Fringe Festival; it performed at various regional venues before making its West End debut at the Ambassadors Theatre in April 2017. Katdashians! Break the Musical!, a parody mashup of Keeping Up with the Kardashians and Cats by Bob and Tobly McSmith, premiered Off-Broadway at the Elektra Theatre in June 2016. All the song parodies of Cats were later removed after accusations of copyright infringement from Lloyd Webber's representatives, who claimed the songs were being used "to parody another subject matter entirely". Other stage shows that satirise Cats include Six Degrees of Separation and The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!). Madame Tussauds New York features wax figures of a few of the characters from the musical, including one of Grizabella that sings "Memory" through the use of projection mapping technology. Revisions and cut material The stage production of Cats has undergone several revisions since its London opening. When the show transferred to Broadway, several cuts and rewrites were made with the intention of appealing more to an American audience. Additionally, a song entitled "Cat Morgan Introduces Himself" was cut during initial development. Lloyd Webber performed this song at the show's 6,138th Broadway performance, when it broke the record to become the longest-running Broadway show. "Growltiger's Last Stand" The "Growltiger's Last Stand" sequence has been changed multiple times over the course of the show's history. In the original London production, the "last duet" for Growltiger and Griddlebone was a setting for an unpublished T. S. Eliot poem, "The Ballad of Billy M'Caw". For the original Broadway production, the Ballad was replaced with "In Una Tepida Notte", a parody of Italian opera (reminiscent of Puccini's La fanciulla del West). The mock aria was introduced so as to add more slapstick humour to the Broadway show, and its lyrics are based on the Italian translation of the "Growltiger's Last Stand" poem. This new version was subsequently incorporated into other productions of Cats, including the London production. By 2008, "The Ballad of Billy M'Caw" had been re-instated in the UK touring productions, but was once again replaced by the Italian aria in 2014. "Growltiger's Last Stand" has been called out for being racially offensive. The original lyrics, taken directly from the Eliot poem it is based on, included the ethnic slur "Chinks", and this was later replaced with the word "Siamese". The number also originally involved the cast putting on "Asian accents" to portray the Siamese cats. In the 1998 video version, the entire scene featuring Growltiger was cut. By 2016, "Growltiger's Last Stand" had been removed completely from the US and UK productions of the show. In the 2016 Broadway revival, the number was replaced by "The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles", with Gus remembering that he had played the part of the Great Rumpus Cat instead of Growltiger. Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer In the original London production, Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer were characters in their own right and sang their eponymous song themselves. When the show transferred to Broadway, the song was instead sung in the third-person, with Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer as puppets being magically controlled by Mr. Mistoffelees. The original London version of "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer" was a singsong-style duet, mainly composed in time. The original Broadway version was rewritten to be faster and more upbeat, alternating between vaudeville-style verses (in time) and a "manic patter" section (in time). Eventually, the Broadway version of the song was rewritten to allow Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer to once again sing their own song as full characters. In the current licensed version, based on the recent UK tour, the section is reworked into with triplet quavers that simulate the original version. Rum Tum Tugger The 2014 London revival introduced several modernizations to the show. Rum Tum Tugger was completely reworked and changed from a ladies-man rockstar to a breakdancing street cat. His eponymous musical number was also turned into a rap. The 2015 Australian tour and 2015 Paris productions also used the new Tugger; however, the 2016 Broadway revival did not. Choreography The 2016 Broadway revival featured new choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, who introduced more hip hop and cool jazz elements to the movements and dances. Blankenbuehler's choreography for the ensemble numbers did not differ too much from the original by Lynne, but significant changes were made in several solo numbers, including "The Rum Tum Tugger" and "Mr. Mistoffelees". Notes and references Notes References Bibliography * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * External links * * }} Category:1981 musicals Category:Adaptations of works by T. S. Eliot Category:Broadway musicals Category:Musicals by Andrew Lloyd Webber Category:Musicals based on poems Category:Sung-through musicals Category:Laurence Olivier Award-winning musicals Category:West End musicals Category:Fantasy theatre Category:Cats (musical) Category:Tony Award for Best Musical Category:Cats in popular culture